More than a Mistress: Mistress Series, Book 1

An arrogant duke does the unthinkable - he falls in love with his mistress.... She raced onto the green, desperate to stop a duel. In the mêlée, Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, was shot. To his astonishment, Tresham found himself hiring the servant as his nurse. Jane Ingleby was far too bold for her own good. Her blue eyes were the sort a man could drown in - were it not for her impudence. She questioned his every move, breached his secrets, touched his soul. When he offered to set her up in his London town house, love was the last thing on his mind.

How to Marry a Marquis

When Elizabeth Hotchkiss stumbles upon a copy of
How to Marry a Marquis in her employer's library, she's convinced someone is playing a cruel joke. With three younger siblings to support, she knows she has to marry for money, but who might have guessed how desperate she's become? A guidebook to seduction might be just the thing she needs - and what harm could there be in taking a little peek?

First Comes Marriage: Huxtable Series, Book 1

Against the scandal and seduction of Regency England,
New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh introduces an extraordinary family - the fiery, sensual Huxtables. Vanessa is the second daughter, proud and daring, a young widow who has her own reason for pursuing the most eligible bachelor in London. One that has nothing to do with love. Or does it?

Simply Unforgettable: The Simply Quartet, Book 1

Stranded together in a rustic country inn, Lucius Marshall, who is the Viscount Sinclair, and Frances Allard share a night of glorious, unforgettable passion. But Frances knows her place, and it is far from the privileged world of the sensual aristocrat. Due to begin her teaching position at Miss Martin's School in Bath, Frances must try to forget that one extraordinary night - and the man who touched her with such exquisite tenderness and abandon.

The Proposal

Award-winning and
New York Times best-selling author Mary Balogh delights fans with historical romantic tales that touch the heart. After her husband dies in a freak accident, Lady Gwendoline Muir never dreams she’ll love again. So when soldier-turned-nobleman Lord Hugo Trentham stirs feelings in her that have lain dormant for years, she can’t help but imagine his strong embrace. Hugo finds himself drawn to Gwen, but he’s never courted a woman before. Can he muster the right words to make Gwen open her heart and love once more?

Heartless

Life has taught Lucas Kendrick, duke of Harndon, that a heart is a decided liability. Betrayed by his elder brother, rejected by his fiancée, banished by his father, and shunned by his mother, Luke fled to Paris, where he became the most sought-after bachelor in fashionable society. Ten years later fate has brought him back home to England as head of the family who rejected him. Unwilling as he is to be involved with them, he must assume responsibility for his younger siblings, the family estate he once loved - and the succession.

An Offer from a Gentleman

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball, or that 'Prince Charming' would be waiting there for her!Even though she's the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

A Fallen Lady

For reasons of his own, Stephen Hampton, Lord Summerdale, is determined to learn the truth behind the tangled tale of Helen's ruin. There is nothing he abhors so much as scandal - nothing he prizes so well as discretion - and so he is shocked to find that he cannot help but admire her. But how can she trust a man so steeped in the culture of high society, who conceals so much? And how can he, so devoted to the appearance of propriety, ever love a fallen lady?

The Parfit Knight: Rockliffe Book 1

When the Marquis of Amberley's coach is waylaid by highwaymen and his coachman shot, he is forced to take shelter at the first house he finds and is subsequently trapped there for a week by a severe snowstorm. Oakleigh Manor is the home of Rosalind Vernon who lives alone but for her devoted servants and an ill-natured parrot, cut off from the outside world by the tragic result of a childhood accident.

The Viscount Who Loved Me

This time the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry; he's also chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield: the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate's the woman haunting his dreams....

Longing

The illegitimate daughter of an English lord, Sian Jones abandoned her heritage to live in a stalwart coal-mining community in South Wales. Empowered by their cause, she's engaged to be married to the leader of a revolutionary movement that is bracing itself against the tyranny of English mine owners. But Sian's principles are unexpectedly shaken when she accepts a job as governess under Alexander Hyatt, the mysterious marquess of Craille, the oppressive symbol of everything she has come to resist.

Noble Satyr: A Georgian Historical Romance

1740s France and England. Abandoned to fend for herself at the court of Versailles, Antonia turns to her distant cousin, the all-powerful Duke of Roxton, to help her escape the attentions of a lecherous nobleman. Roxton is an unlikely savior - arrogant, promiscuous, and sinister. Antonia's unquestioning belief in him may just be his salvation, and her undoing.

A Matter of Class

Reginald Mason is wealthy, refined, and, by all accounts, a gentleman. However, he is not a gentleman by birth, a factor that pains him and his father, Bernard Mason, within the Regency society that upholds station over all else. That is, until an opportunity for social advancement arises, namely, Lady Annabelle Ashton.

The Duke and I: Bridgerton Family, Book 1

Simon Basset, the irresistible Duke of Hastings, has hatched a plan to keep himself free from marriage: he will pretend to be engaged to the lovely Daphne Bridgerton. After all, it isn't as if the brooding rogue has any real plans to marry.... Although, there is something about the alluring Miss Bridgerton that sets Simon's heart beating a bit faster. But Daphne soon finds herself forgetting that their courtship is a complete sham....

The Paid Companion

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical - he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiancée will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion. Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected.

When He Was Wicked

Michael Stirling and his cousin, John, the Earl of Kilmartin, are as close as brothers. However, Michael is secretly in love with John's wife, Francesca Bridgerton. When John suddenly dies, Michael is wracked with guilt and pain. Even though he is determined to remain simply Francesca's friend and confidant, the temptation is far too great.

Last Gentleman Standing

Miss Elisabeth Elham is an unlikely heiress. She never knew the curmudgeonly uncle who died suddenly and left her a fortune. She's proud, outspoken, and independent - a definite challenge for London's fortune hunting suitors. As various determined gentlemen vie for her attention at balls, routs, picnics, and parties, Elisabeth finds herself embroiled with a charming rake, a mysterious nabob, and an elegant neighbor. This would all be great fun, if only she wasn't so fascinated by the one man in London who's not trying to woo her....

Publisher's Summary

While Lady Angeline Dudley’s pedigree dictates that she must land a titled gentleman, the irrepressible beauty secretly longs for a simple, ordinary suitor. No wild rakes like the men of her family, just a kind heart and good nature. So when Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heyward, rescues her with unmatched civility from the advances of a scoundrel, Angeline thinks that she has found her true love. Persuading the earl is another matter entirely.

Edward has his future neatly mapped out. He hopes to wed his steadfast companion, a woman who shares his values of loyalty, respect, and decorum. But arriving in London to take his seat in the House of Lords, he is derailed by Angeline, an exquisite bird of paradise seemingly devoted to sending his predictable life into chaos.

From the brilliant hues of her fashion to her hoydenish antics, Angeline is the last woman on earth for Edward. And yet a stolen kiss in the moonlight awakens something deep and primal within him. Naturally, being a gentleman, he does the right thing after compromising a lady: He offers marriage.

Angeline knows that Edward’s proposal is born of duty, not love. But denying something so provocative and passionate is easier said than done. Deep down, Angeline believes that Edward’s dedication to convention will melt behind closed doors, where sensuality and seduction play wicked games. For a proper wife by day can become a husband’s secret mistress by night, when delicious desire rules.

This book tells the story of Lady Angeline Dudley and Edward Ailsbury, the new Earl of Heyward, and is the third book in the Mistress Series by Mary Balogh. I had already read the first two books in the series so thought that I would give this one a try and readily downloaded it onto my kindle. It was an extremely pleasant surprise, and is definitely one of my favourite books by Mary Balogh. While it certainly wasn't her convential romance with a muscled, dashing hell-raiser as the male love interest, I found that actually this book was just as good if not better than her usual fare. Angeline's non-stop chatter and outrageous fashion sense lent a humerous side to the story, and it was really touching to see the sensible, dutiful Edward start to let loose a bit and reveal a more carefree side when in Angeline's presence. Overall I would whole-heartedly recommend the book as a sweet and touching romance.

After reading the other review, I was sceptical about getting this one, even though I have enjoyed other Balogh novels. Although not high literature, this recording was a pleasant enough surprise. I enjoyed the slightly flightly main character, who is somewhat more lighthearted than Balogh's other more serious heroines. It was worth using a credit.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Cam

Las Vegas, NV, United States

22/06/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Disappointing!"

The love story was created too fast and the characters were not developed as well as expected. Angeline was a simple minded chatter box the hero would have never liked prior to meeting her. A forced love and a far below par story I have ever read written by Mary Balogh. Don't purchase. Move on to a better book.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Nan51

Sammamish, WA USA

28/07/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Wonderful story"

Where does The Secret Mistress rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's hard to rank. I really enjoyed the story but I wish it had a different narrator. I admit it's probably just my personal preference but I wish someone like Roslyn Landor or Phyllida Nash had narrated it.

What other book might you compare The Secret Mistress to and why?

I honestly cannot think of a book to compare to this one. I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Edward and Angeline are unique. He is so determined not to be like his older brother, who died while curricle racing, that he is thought to be a "dry old stick". Angeline's youthful spontaneity brings out his passionate side when they are alone. She has two older brothers who are similar to Edward's older brother. She sensibly chooses not marry someone like them. But, because she is playful and loving, she teases Edward by saying that though they will marry she will pretend to be his Secret Mistress.

Did Anne Flosnik do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She did make an effort to differentiate the characters by changing the pitch and accents. I can't help wishing that Roslyn Landor, who narrated book one in the Mistress series had also done this book.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

An sweetly romantic love story.

Any additional comments?

This story is simply based on the advice not to judge a book by its cover. Seriously, ignore the cover art. Angeline and Edward's story is very touching, romantic and rewarding.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Cathy

PORT MACQUARIE, Australia

10/02/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"IRRITATING NARRATION"

This audiobook is an "ok" story but the narrator's voice is irritating. I also like to be drawn in by the characters but this book didn't achieve that.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

N.

Cherry Hill, NJ, United States

22/07/11

Overall

"Extremely Disappointing Balogh"

While its title might lead you to believe this book is a sequel or at least in the same vein as Balogh's previous "Mistress" books, the truth is it is a boring and disappointing volume. Balogh has to stretch the truth to even incorporate the "Secret Mistress" moniker. Don't bother with it. Anne Flosnik's narration is, as always, excellent but she has little to work with. This is by far the worst Mary Balogh book I've read or listened to and I count myself a real fan.

11 of 16 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

LA, CA

10/05/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Was this REALLY written by Mary Balogh?"

I am an optimist, so when a book appears to be a total whiny waste of my time, I will usually give it atleast a couple more chapters. Because this was Mary Balogh, one of my all-time favorites, I kept listening up to half way through the second part. I finally had to give up. This IS NOT a typical MB book, I should know, my library is full of her books. I kept thinking some one at Audible must have made a mistake. The story line is really stupid, and OMG the 2 main proagonist are hurtful to even listen to! Don't wast your credit!

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Susynne

hartland, VT, United States

16/03/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"This is actually the FIRST of the trilogy!!!!!"

What did you love best about The Secret Mistress?

The term "secret mistress"! I wondered how it could be named such other then to just fit in with the other two in the mistress series. But once it was revealed I smiled.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Definitely Angeline. Having listened to the other two first (they are definitely titled out of order for the story line even if they were physically written in that order) I already knew her, all of them! But I totally enjoyed the story of how she came to be who she was... all of the quirkiness made perfect sense. I just wish I had know that this was the beginning of their stories.....

What does Anne Flosnik bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I believe that her exquisite delivery of distinct voices and situations makes the tale! She always delivers a perfect performance. However she, like all narrators has some limits and is perfect within each book. But to listen back to back it gets just a tad confusing as no one can deliver, with such perfection, all those voices without repeating some in different books.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not so much... it wasnt a cliff hanger-! By far not my favorite of ms baloghs books. I enjoyed it but it doesn't go on my repeat listen list.

Any additional comments?

I can't stress enough that this is the beginning of the stories not the end. But I doubt I would have listened to the other two if this one had been my first. It was less inspired and felt a little like a afterthought. .. don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed it!

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Christina

27/12/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"I thought I knew the story......"

Continuing through my audio Mary Balogh marathon. I loved this story!! In the previous two books in the series, Angeline and Haywood are married so I thought it might be a little weird to listen to a story about two people who I knew had found their HEA. I was wrong!! I realized I knew nothing about Angeline and Haywood. I loved their story and their relationship and their journey to their HEA.

Since I did listen to the audiobook, I feel I need to say a little about that. The previous books in the series were narrated by Rosalyn Landor who is one of my favorite historical romance narrators so it was a little jarring at first to get used to the new narrator. But, as usually happens, I soon became lost in the story and forgot all about it. Anne Flosnik did a wonderful job. This was the first book I’ve listened to her narrate but I will be looking for more books.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

16/10/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"first two in series better"

This one was not as good, but I wanted to finish the trilogy. Stop at 2 and ignore this one.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Kathie D.

22/07/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"loved it"

I loved this entire series. However, I think this book should be #1 in the series. Just saying.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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